Five Lifetimes, One Love
by codegal
Summary: IH: Ichigo travels through five lifetimes to come to a realisation: he has one love.


**Title:** Five Lifetimes, One Love.

**Authors:** codegal & Errechan (chibi_chichan)

**Rating:** Pg-13

**Disclaimer:** Kubo owns Bleach. We shamelessly use his characters.

**Summary:** Ichigo travels through five lifetimes to come to a realisation: he has one love.

**Author's Notes:** (Errechan) BWAHAHAH! Let the insanity begin! XD My first IchiHime fic and it's a conjoined effort with my ranga sister. :'D And I can't stop laughing for some reason. But anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this!

_(codegal) Who the hell you calling ranga, ranga?! ( OK, if any of the characters sound OOC, that's totally my fault DX Be gentle, its our first attempt -_-||_

**Special Thanks To: **Eloni & masq for being the best e-sisters ever, not to mention, for taking time out to beta this ridiculous thing. *glomp* Love you guys to death. 3

...

July the 7th.

A day of celebration, festivity and gaiety. A day in which Nanao Ise of the 8th division turned another year older, not to mention a day which heralded the reunion of the two lovers, the Princess Orihime and her Cow Herder. Simply put, it was yet another day in Japan.

But for Ichigo Kurosaki, this day was to be a day of awakening.

...

Exactly how Ichigo Kurosaki wound up at a festival held to commemorate the day of the separated lovers' reunion evaded him as he walked moodily down through food and game stalls. He also couldn't understand why he had to pay for everyone's ice-creams.

"I commend you for your kind-hearted deed, Kurosaki," commented Ishida, adjusting his gleaming glasses in amusement.

"You guys forced me to pay for them!" growled Ichigo, vein pulsating in his forehead.

"Ohh, look at that!" Orihime cried out abruptly in fascination, pointing over with her free hand at a ride that they were slowly approaching, labelled the "_Bridge Between Heaven & Earth_".

The ride consisted of a two-seater boat, moving through flowing water that led into a dark tunnel, that Ichigo presumed was meant to be the "bridge" or connection between "Heaven" and "Earth", and couldn't comprehend the reason behind Orihime's sudden interest in a ride that hardly appealed to him. "Do you want to ride it?" he asked her unassumingly, causing her to turn to him with wide and bright eyes.

"R-really?" she stammered and Ichigo eyed the bit of ice-cream on the corner of her mouth, tempted to brush it off with his thumb.

Ichigo shrugged. "Well, I'm not really interested in going on rides--" he began before exclaiming in pain as Rukia expertly elbowed him in the back. He spun around, directing an accusing glare at the female shinigami who clenched her fist threateningly in return. "What was that for?" he hissed between gritted teeth as he rubbed his sore back.

"You don't ask someone if they want to go on a ride and then say you don't want to go on it!" Rukia hissed back. "That's completely rude!"

Before Ichigo could manage a retort, Orihime's concerned voice broke in. "Ichigo? Are you alright?" she asked, glancing worriedly at his back, that bothersome bit of ice-cream still clinging to the corner of her mouth.

"Oh, yeah, yeah," Ichigo said quickly, throwing another glare over his shoulder at Rukia who simply smiled brightly at Orihime as if nothing at all had occurred.

"Yes, Ichigo was just muttering about how glad he would be to accompany you on the ride!" Rukia put in cheerfully, pushing both Ichigo and Orihime towards the gate of the ride. "Go on, hurry now before that line becomes too long you two," continued the female shinigami in that saccharine tone that Ichigo instantly recognised. "Have fun you two!"

"Why you..." growled Ichigo as both he and Orihime were forced into the line, waiting for their turn to board the ride and abandoned by all their other friends who had mysteriously vanished as soon as Rukia had pushed the two of them into the line for the ride. "Those guys... where the hell did they go?" Ichigo grumbled, turning back to Orihime whose eyes were shimmering with excitement.

"Oh don't worry, I'm sure we'll find them again," she replied optimistically, causing Ichigo to sweat drop. Unconsciously, she reached out and grabbed the hem of his sleeve, pointing cheerfully at the fact that they were nearly at the front as the line had not been long at all.

Smiling faintly, and unable to restrain himself any longer, Ichigo brushed off the ice-cream from the corner of Orihime's mouth with his thumb and she turned her wide and surprised eyes to him questioningly. "Uh, you had, uh, ice-cream. It was just ice-cream. On the corner of your mouth," Ichigo hurriedly said whilst Orihime just continued to stare at him with her wide eyes before slowly nodding her head and turning away, cheeks lightly tinged pink.

By this time, they had reached the front of the line and an awkward silence had fallen over them as Ichigo rubbed the back of his head, lecturing himself mentally before the ticket man asked them, "Are you two together?"

"Huh?" Both Orihime and Ichigo said in surprised unison.

The ticket man at the booth quirked a brow. "Your tickets. Buying them together? You're riding together?" he asked, receiving understanding nods from the two teenagers who exchanged their money for the tickets to the ride. "Thank you very much. Enjoy your ride," he said with a brief smile as Orihime bowed in return thanks and the two headed towards the gondola in which they were directed to take a seat in.

Taking a seat, Orihime unconsciously tugged at Ichigo's sleeve again, exclaiming her excitement at riding a boat, as they were pushed out and headed slowly towards the entrance of the tunnel.

"You've never been on a boat before, Inoue?" he asked, watching his comrade with a smile as she gushed about the sound of the water flowing beneath the boat and the sensation of the movement along the water.

She shook her head, smile still in place. "No, I haven't. Has Kurosaki-kun been on a boat before?"

Shaking his head also, Ichigo leaned back into the seat of the boat, relaxed. "Not at all. It feels nice though. What made you so interested in going on a boat?" he asked, staring up at the starry sky looming above their heads, soon to be blocked out by the top of the approaching tunnel.

"My brother told me a story once."

At her words, Ichigo sat up, looking over at Orihime who stared at her hands folded neatly in her lap, soft brown-eyes as she recalled what he could tell was a fond memory.

"He told me about sailing through the sky. That there was this princess who would sail across the sky once every year. So, I've always wanted to be on a boat and see what it felt like. See how that princess might have felt like to make her want to ride that boat across the sky every year," Orihime explained in a gentle tone before pausing and suddenly bursting out into nervous laughter. "I know, silly right? You don't mind, do you?" she asked, cheeks rouge with embarrassment at having revealed a childish ambition of hers.

Ichigo's eyes softened. "No, I don't think it's silly at all." He scratched his head. "Though, sailing across the sky in a boat is a bit... how do I put this...?" he paused, pondering for a second.

"Weird?" Orihime suggested with a smile.

"You could say that."

Orihime giggled. "Well, there's this museum I've always wanted to go to, that has a display section about that particular story..." she trailed off and Ichigo shifted up in his seat once more, glancing over at the teen beside him.

"Would you like to go there sometime?" he asked gently, drawing Orihime out of her thoughts.

She looked up at him in surprise, before rewarding him with a beautiful smile that lit up her entire face, warmth spreading through Ichigo as if the sun were gazing happily at him. "Yes, please," she said, before the shadow of the tunnel's entrance slowly fell over both of them, the darkness enshrouding them, silence filling the tunnel except for the lapping of the water against the gondola as it rocked them gently forward.

"Orihime?" Ichigo called out, an odd feeling settling into his stomach, the hairs on the back of his neck standing at the sound of his reverberating voice. Receiving no reply, he called out once more, before reaching out to grasp Orihime's hand and yet grabbing at nothing. Suddenly realising that there was no longer a seat or a boat to support him, and the sound of water had disappeared, his stomach twisted in a somersault as he fell forward without warning.

...

He was falling.

He shot his hands out, desperately searching for something to hold, to stop him from falling. But there was nothing to grab onto, and he was falling, endlessly, waiting for the inevitable end...

Ichigo woke up suddenly, breathing hard.

He closed his eyes and opened them slowly, and sighed in relief as he noticed that the ceiling hadn't changed, that he was still laying in bed as he had been when he first woke up. He shook his head slightly, shifting his limbs to stretch out in the bed. It had all been a dream, that sense of falling. He shook his head again though was startled when his hand brushed against something warm and soft in his bed.

Puzzled, he sat up slowly. He then noticed the form hidden beneath the bed covers, and his heart started a staccato rhythm in his chest. What the hell was going on? A quick survey of the room had him convinced that maybe he wasn't done dreaming. Now that he thought about it, never before had he owned a king sized bed before, nor did he own a vanity desk or have an adjoining bathroom, and he was pretty damn sure he didn't own the bra and panties that was strewn around the floor. Speaking of which...

He glanced back over at the lump in the bed and swallowed. What exactly was going on here? As if on cue, the covers pulled back, and sleepy brown eyes blinked open before settling on his, softening with pleasure. "Mmm, good morning, Ichigo."

"Inoue?!" Ichigo sputtered, eyes wide as he stared down at her. He pulled at the covers, moving to shield his chest from her view, having only now noticed that he was quite naked. "What the hell's going on? W-why are you here?"

Orihime pouted and sat up, letting the covers fall without a hint of modesty. "Gee, Ichigo. Are you mad at me this morning? You only ever call me that when you're being stubborn about something."

Ichigo yelled, having copped an eyeful of Orihime's breasts and fell out of the bed, taking the covers with him. He rubbed his eyes erratically, willing himself to wake up, though no matter what, his efforts proved unfruitful, and he remained in this strange room with a very naked Inoue. He swallowed audibly. _Really, what the hell was going on?_

Orihime's head poked over the edge of the bed, and she regarded him with a puzzled gaze. "Ichigo, are you alright? Are you not feeling well this morning?"

Ichigo swallowed again before answering, "er, I'm feeling a little off this morning." Just look at her face, Ichigo told himself, just her face, don't think of letting your eyes wander any lower than her face. "I'll just, uh, go and get dressed now." He got up awkwardly, making sure to keep the blanket wrapped firmly around his body as he stood up. He made the mistake of looking back to the bed, and almost passed out at the sight of a still very naked Orihime sitting on the bed. "Put some clothes on! Do you always sit around naked?" Ichigo admonished, looking around the room for anything to cover her nakedness with.

Orihime cocked her head to the side. "But of course, Ichigo. You're the one who doesn't like it when I wear anything to bed."

"I don't like it when..." Ichigo trailed off, staring in astonishment at Orihime. He what? What the hell kind of person was he to make her do something like that? He shook his head before turning away, hoping to make a quick escape to the adjoining bathroom. He went to move towards it but froze when he felt Orihime's arms wrap around his waist, her soft breasts pressed against his back. He shuddered and wondered why the vessels in his head hadn't already burst yet.

"Don't I even get a good morning kiss today? You've always given me one every morning since we got married. Please don't say you're going to stop now."

Ichigo stood stunned as her words penetrated his mind. Married. They were married. But how? The last thing he remembered was going for a ride at the stupid festival and entering the tunnel before...nothing. He had had that terrible feeling of falling and woke up here. Something was going on, and he didn't know if it had anything to do with the Soul Society, but from what little he could understand, he had travelled through some realm of time, ending up here in a lifetime in which he and Orihime were apparently married.

The thought echoed through his mind again, and he couldn't help but relax some. A sense of rightness passed through him. Now that he thought about it, being married to Inoue wouldn't be a bad thing at all; he'd definitely be able to fulfil his promise to always protect her this way.

"Ichigo? You're really not yourself today. Maybe I should call in sick for you, and you can just go back to bed."

Orihime's worried voice shook him out of his stupor and he turned slowly within her arms, glancing down at her worried expression. It was one that he was quite familiar with, one that he had promised himself to see less often as he grew stronger. Making sure not to touch anything other than her face, he raised one of his hands and brushed a finger lightly down her cheek before leaning forward and placing a chaste kiss on her forehead. Breaking away, he told her he'd better get dressed, and strode to the adjoining bath, making sure to keep the blanket firmly around himself, not to mention to keep his eyes averted from Orihime's body.

A moment later, with the shower running, he could hear Orihime humming cheerfully to herself before letting him know that she had laid his clothes on the bed and was heading downstairs to make some breakfast. He smiled at that, thinking that life married to Orihime was definitely not a bad thing.

Twenty minutes later, dressed in his work attire, he made his way back downstairs and was surprised to see that the place was quite familiar. In fact, Ichigo paused and looked at the living room. Save from some new furniture, he realised that the place was familiar because it was his house!

He wondered at that as he headed towards the kitchen, his stomach stirring at the delicious aromas wafting from it. Where were Yuzu and Karin in this lifetime, not to mention his ever interfering father? He had noticed a few family portraits of the two of them with his family hanging in the living room, but apart from that, there was no other clue as to the whereabouts of his family.

Letting it out of his mind for now, he entered the eating area, watching as Orihime continued to hum cheerfully to herself (thankfully with clothes on) as she moved from the stove to the table, plating what looked like bacon and eggs, chocolate pancakes and toast.

She looked up and noticed him standing in the doorway, and her face lit up with a grin. "Feeling better, Ichigo? I made you your favourite!"

Looking at her infectious grin, he couldn't help but smile back as he moved to take his seat. He dug into the food and was surprised at how good of a cook Orihime was. "Mmm, this is really good In--er, Orihime!"

She sat down in the chair opposite and clapped her hands together in glee. "I'm glad you like it."

He ate in silence for a bit, and spoke up when he noticed that she wasn't eating. "Aren't you gonna eat?"

Orihime shook her head. "Nah, my first patient is due to turn up in a couple of minutes. Plus, I'm not too hungry right now, I'll just get something to eat later."

Ichigo looked with interest, "first patient?"

Orihime smiled, though he could tell that she was still somewhat puzzled over his behaviour this morning. He couldn't argue though; he was still puzzling over the fact that he was here in the first place after all. "Yeah, the first patient for the clinic today. I have a full day today, so I'm really gonna look forward to when you can help out this weekend."

"So I only _help_ you out at the clinic? Where's my slacker of a dad gone?"

Orihime shook her head. "Well, the clinic isn't really your forte. Plus, I remember you telling me one time that I was more suited for this than you were. Besides, I actually like working here, it's...comforting, knowing that I can be of use to people. And Ichigo, you shouldn't speak about Isshin-san like that, you know he's off on a much deserved vacation with Yuzu-chan and Karin-chan."

Ichigo snorted. If his dad was the same in this lifetime as he was in his, then he highly doubted he really deserved the vacation. He shook his head and continued to shovel food into his mouth. Orihime smiled softly at him before looking down at her wrist and jumping up to her feet. "Oh my goodness, look at the time. Ichigo, you gotta leave now or else you're going to be late to work."

Responding to the urgency in her voice, he pushed away from the table, taking his plate to the sink to wash up. Orihime shook her head at him, "Don't worry about it, I'll clean up later. Here, I made you some lunch. Now you really gotta go or Abarai-kun will be mad."

Ichigo flinched at the familiar name. "Renji?"

Orihime nodded, holding out his lunch for him to take. "Yes, Abarai-kun. Your business partner? You promised to turn up early so you can run over the merger proposals with the Asamoto company."

Ichigo's eye twitched. "Me and Renji...own...a business?"

Grabbing his hand, Orihime nodded enthusiastically while pulling him towards the front of the house. "Yeah, isn't that amazing? I'm so proud of my Ichigo."

Following in Orihime's wake, Ichigo desperately tried to wrap his head around the idea of him and Renji owning a business and failed. He couldn't help it, the idea was just preposterous. Chuckling to himself, he grabbed the keys off of a hook beside the front door, slid his shoes on and headed outside towards the car parked in the driveway. Taking his lunch from Orihime, he opened the passenger door and placed his stuff on the seat before turning back to his wife. "Ah, I guess I'm off to work now."

Orihime smiled and before he could guess what she was about to do, she leant forward and kissed him, her lips soft as she caressed his with hers. Before he could react, she broke the kiss, moving back from the car while making a 'shoo-ing' motion with her hands. "Come on, you gotta go now. Drive safely! I love you!"

Stunned, Ichigo obeyed blindly, moving to the driver's side, opening the door and slid into the driver's seat. He looked once more at Orihime, and she waved, smiling. He smiled back, he couldn't help it. He couldn't remember when he'd last heard someone tell him that, not since his mother at least, and hearing it now was a much-needed balm to his soul. Looking at Orihime now, waving at him, the morning sunlight lighting her brown hair, he couldn't help but feel pleasure and contentment with his lot in this particular lifetime.

Still smiling, he swung the car door shut.

...

"I'm sorry to trouble you like this."

Nearly jumping out of his own skin, Ichigo spun around in his seat to stare incredulously at the person beside him in the passenger seat, who had not been there previously when he was entering the car.

A disheartened and dishevelled Orihime Inoue sat in the passenger seat, listless gaze upon the grey carpet of the car as she unconsciously fidgeted with the turquoise-checkered blanket spread across her lap and falling to the tips of her shoes, her complexion unhealthily pale and dark circles apparent under her dull brown eyes.

"I-In--Orihime!" Ichigo exclaimed, eyes wide in both horror and disbelief as he looked from the saddened Orihime to the cheerful wife he had just said goodbye to, only to discover that there was no one outside of his door and the only Orihime present was the one seated in the passenger seat next to him. "What..." he mumbled to himself. Was his mind playing tricks on him, or had he just entered another lifetime?

"Is something wrong?" came Orihime's small voice, breaking through his train of thoughts.

Turning his attention back to her and deciding that he most likely had just somehow moved into another lifetime without realising it, he forced a smile, hoping to reassure the brunette woman in the passenger seat. "Uh, no, nothing's wrong. Uh," he fumbled the car keys, attempting to put it into the ignition and start up the car's engine, "so, how've you been?" he asked, deciding to go with the safest question possible as he put the key into the ignition and turn it, listening to the car roar to life. He felt completely thrown off balance as he sat back into the driver's seat, glancing over at the apathetic expression on the face of the girl who had just greeted him cheerfully this morning as his wife.

"Alright," Orihime replied stiffly, eyes still fixated on the car's carpet, fingers twitching over the blanket on her lap. "I'm so sorry for troubling you like this," she mumbled once more, bowing her head in shame. "I just... don't have anyone else to turn to," she explained, voice wavering and hands clasped tightly together, attempting to suppress tears that Ichigo could hear in her tone.

Although still not comprehending the entire situation, anger stirred within Ichigo's chest as he wondered who could have possibly made Orihime upset, his expression then softening as he realised that now was not the time to become angry when the girl beside him needed comfort and reassurance. "Do you want me to beat up that person who made you upset?" he asked suddenly, face serious.

Orihime shook her head vigorously, eyes wide as she gazed at the expression upon Ichigo's face. "N-no! P-please don't!" she stammered, her gaze slowly lowering back to her clasped hands on her lap. "It's alright. I'm used to it," she added quietly, hanging her head in defeat.

"What's the name of this person?" Ichigo demanded suddenly, mind made up as he began to reverse out of the parking space they were in, vaguely wondering how he was now in an open car park rather than in the driveway of his own home but deciding that wasn't important in comparison to the fact that someone had dared to upset Orihime.

"N-no, really! It's fine," Orihime quickly said. "I shouldn't have mentioned it."

"Inou--Orihime, if anything makes you upset, you can tell me about it. Don't worry about whether it troubles me or not. If it's troubling you, I don't want you to deal with it alone, alright?" Ichigo began to explain as they drove out of the car park and onto the streets. "It's hard..." he continued in a more solemn tone, "to deal with things alone."

Silence reigned over the two of them as Ichigo indicated a turn, despite not knowing where exactly they were heading to. A sniff came from beside him and he turned quickly to glimpse the tears streaming down Orihime's face which she desperately brushed away, his heart clenching at the sight of it. He'd made her cry without meaning to. Letting out an aggravated sigh from between his teeth, infuriated with himself from having made her cry, Ichigo grumbled, "I'm awful, aren't I?"

Shaking her head mutely, Orihime continued to rub her eyes. "N-no, y-you're not at a-all. Y-you're the n-nicest person I kn-know," she hiccupped, tears still streaming down her cheeks, even with her hands pressed over her eyes. "A-aren't I the awful one? A-always depending on I-Ichigo?" she asked, shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked, brows creased in earnest concern as he pulled up on the side of the road and stopped the car, turning to her.

Orihime lowered her hands to reveal her tear-filled eyes and Ichigo couldn't stand to see the pained expression upon Orihime's face as she sobbed in anguish, shaking her head. "You knew for a long time that I couldn't walk, and yet, you still offered to look after me."

Ichigo's eyes widened at her words, feeling suddenly numb. "... can't walk...?" he murmured more to himself in disbelief.

"Why do you bother with me?" she whispered, head hung and hands clutching either side of her head. "Why would you bother with me?" she choked out as she continued to sob.

Undoing his seatbelt and reaching across, Ichigo seized Orihime's shoulders, shaking her slightly. "Whether you can walk or not doesn't matter to me. Orihime... Orihime, please look at me," he pleaded, eyes searching for hers, hidden by her hair. Mutely, she shook her head and Ichigo could feel the trembling of her shoulders and grimaced. "Those kind of things... they don't matter to me, Orihime," Ichigo murmured softly, hands never releasing their hold upon the shoulders of the crying girl before him. "I'll always be here to protect you. Didn't I make that promise?"

Orihime's head bobbed up and down jerkily at his words in what Ichigo took as a nod. He smiled to himself, glad that in this lifetime also, he had vowed to protect her. At least some things remained the same. "Don't ever call yourself a burden. I'm here of my own free will, because I won't ever leave your side if you need help," he explained, eyes softening as Orihime slowly raised her watery gaze to his.

She sniffed once more and allowed Ichigo to brush away the remainder of her tears before apologizing again, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Ichigo replied, giving Orihime a small smile as he pulled away, studying her expression to ensure she was feeling better.

Biting her lip and clasping her hands together again, Orihime returned the small smile. "Th-thank you... Ichigo," she whispered in gratitude, eyes locking with Ichigo's as he continued to study her.

"Are you feeling better now?" Ichigo asked, never turning away.

Orihime nodded mutely, before lowering her gaze shyly away from Ichigo's intense one and looking out the window.

Starting the ignition up again, Ichigo pulled the car out of its parked position and onto the road again, a thought suddenly hitting him at the sight of a road sign ahead. "Up to going out somewhere?" he asked, a grin slowly lighting his face.

"Oh, where to?" Orihime asked, attentive and slightly more cheerful.

"A museum I heard of from a very important person. They said there was this display that was worth seeing," explained Ichigo as he turned into the very place where the sign had indicated the museum was.

"I've never been here before," Orihime commented as Ichigo pulled the car to a stop in the car park area.

"Is your... uh... wheelchair in the back?" Ichigo asked nervously, watching Orihime carefully.

Orihime paused for a moment, glancing at Ichigo before lowering her gaze once more and nodding her head. "You packed it in."

Hurriedly exiting the car, Ichigo opened the boot and pulled out the wheelchair neatly packed into it, realising that he was not exactly sure how to set it up but was determined to do so anyway, shutting the lid of the boot as he proceeded to straighten out the chair. After a little struggle to properly flatten the seat of the foldable wheelchair, Ichigo pushed the chair over to Orihime's door, which was already open as Orihime waited patiently. As he helped Orihime settle into the seat comfortably, Ichigo felt the clenching of his heart once more as he noticed the expression upon her face despite her attempts to hide it behind her hair.

"Thank you," she muttered as Ichigo prepared to wheel her across to the museum. However, Orihime's hands were already turning the wheels of the chair. "I'm fine though, I can take myself there," she explained quietly, approaching the wheelchair access ramp.

"Orihime..."

"I'm fine," she called over her shoulder, giving Ichigo a tight smile as she wheeled herself up towards the front door, reaching up and turning the knob and nudging the door open as she wheeled herself in, Ichigo hurrying after her, losing sight of her briefly as the door nearly shut on him.

Pushing open the door, Ichigo stepped into the museum, with Orihime nowhere in sight.

...

It happened again.

Ichigo was about done with this whole lifetime travelling thing popping up all around him at very inopportune times. He had really wanted to spend more time with the previous Orihime, wanting to show her that she wasn't a burden; that she meant a lot to him, and not because he "felt sorry for her" like she seemed to think, which was something that still pissed him off when he thought about it.

A voice interrupted his inner thoughts, snapping him into reality. "Laird!"

He looked up in the general direction of the voice and was surprised to see Renji running towards him, dressed in what looked like a dress that hung over one shoulder as well as a white, long sleeved shirt underneath. His eyes widened at his appearance, taking in also the boots, and not to mention his unbound, wild hair.

"Laird, I know you were having doubts about this, but now's not the time to back out, man. Not now since the guests and the bride have been waiting in the chapel."

"Bride?!"

"Aye, milord. Did you perhaps forget?"

Ichigo held a hand up for silence, shaking his head. "First things first, what the hell are you wearing?"

Renji looked at him in shocked silence. "Doona tell me you've gone daft. 'Tis your colours, man! Only look at the plaid that you yourself are wearing." Ichigo looked down and noticed that he was indeed dressed in a similar fashion to Renji, and if he dwelt on the fact a bit more, he'd admit that he was quite bare underneath his 'plaid' as well. Ichigo thought it safe to assume that he definitely was not in Japan anymore.

"Och, it's no time for jests. You seem to be forgetting that everyone's waiting for you."

"And by everyone, I guess you're talking about this so called bride of mine and her guests, right?"

Renji was silent a moment, staring quizzically at Ichigo. "I know you have your doubts; simply think of the land that you will acquire with this union, land that you know will help the clan rebuild."

Ichigo's eye twitched. "Quit telling me what to do and hurry up and show me to the chapel."

Renji stiffened before turning and leading the way. "Was just saying, milord."

Ichigo followed Renji, taking time to note the sentries placed at every entryway, not to mention the hustle and bustle of the servants as they hurried to prepare what looked to Ichigo as a huge dining hall, sporting several long rows of trestle tables and benches heaped with a variety of food, huge banners that hung off walls, and scented floor coverings.

The duo reached the great engraved doors that led to the chapel. With a flick of his wrist, Renji pulled the door backwards, holding it open for his Laird. Immediately, a hush fell over the room, and several hundred pairs of eyes turned on Ichigo. He steeled himself against their stares and looked ahead to the front of the chapel, noticing the figure in white who stood in front of the priest.

Striding forward, Ichigo held his gaze on the figure in white. Reaching her side, he first inclined his head to the waiting priest before looking at his bride. A veil covered her face, and it was averted from his gaze. Impatient, he grabbed hold of her hand, shocking not only the bride, but if the murmurs and gasps that filled the hall were any sign to go on, he'd also shocked the wedding guests.

He breathed a sigh of relief. After the short time he had had with the previous Orihime, holding her small, delicate hand in his was a comfort. He looked down at her upturned face, and with the sunlight that filtered through the windows, could make out her shocked expression and the blush that tinged her cheeks. "I'm glad I made it."

Her mouth fell open at his admission before a soft smile covered her lips. "I'm glad as well, milord."

The priest cleared his throat and began the ceremony without a hitch. It wasn't until they reached the exchange of vows that Ichigo realised that he was going to have to come up with something to say, seeing as the Priest wasn't giving any prompts. He was silent as he listened to Orihime's vows to love and obey him. It was his turn.

Ichigo was silent for a moment, wanting to find the right words. This wasn't going to be simply for this lifetime. He wanted his vows to encompass each and every lifetime, wanted to express his love and dedication for the girl who'd come to mean so much to him, wanted the Orihime of the previous lifetime and in any other life to have no misgivings. It wasn't until he felt his bride tremble, wasn't until he saw the shadow of doubt, of insecurity that crossed her face that he spoke up, wanting to erase any uncertainties between them, now and forever.

He lifted their entwined hands and held it over his heart, placing his other hand on top. "I, Ichigo Kurosaki, pledge to honour, cherish, and love you Orihime Inoue. I will protect you without fail. I will lay my life down for yours. I will give you all that is in my power to give. Let it be thus, I am given wholly unto you."

The sudden stillness in the room threw him off, making him nervous.

He looked around the room, at the shocked faces before turning back to his bride, whose face was alight with a mixture of pure joy and shock. Her hand clutched his plaid, and her lips quivered behind the veil. Ichigo rubbed his fingers gently over her imprisoned one, which seemed to cause shivers to run along her body. A final blessing was given before Ichigo was bidden to kiss the bride.

The realisation that he'd never before kissed anyone popped into his mind several seconds before lifting Orihime's veil. He paused in mortification and looked wide-eyed at his bride, whose eyes were tightly shut, cheeks tinged pink and lips puckered slightly. He swallowed nervously, now was as good a time as any.

Bringing back the memory of the first Orihime he'd met who had sprung that goodbye kiss on him, he leant down towards this Orihime's face, his hand gently cupping her chin to tilt her head up. Closing his eyes, he brushed his lips against hers.

Or, at least he had thought he was going to.

Muffled snickers burst throughout the hall as his lips brushed against Orihime's nose. _Idiot_, Ichigo cursed himself, pulling back to glare at the crowd, his hand going to the hilt of his sword. Instantly, the room quietened down, though there were clear grins on the faces of some who wore the same plaid as he. He kept this in mind, making a note to definitely have a talk with them about their show of insolence.

He turned back to Orihime who was smiling shyly up at him as soon as the priest announced them as husband and wife. He wanted to try to kiss her again since he did such a bang-up job of the first time, but hard hands clamped on his shoulder and pulled him back as the men offered their congratulations. He looked back at Orihime and found that she too was in quite the same predicament, surrounded by many well-wishers.

They were whisked away to the banquet in the great hall.

All throughout the banquet meal, Ichigo couldn't seem to get one single moment of quiet with Orihime. Although they were seated next to each other at the head of the table, it seemed that everyone wanted their attention at this very moment in time. Besides, they all said, they'd have all the time in the world for each other after this. And so, Ichigo found himself the victim of much ribbing and raunchy jokes throughout the whole night from Renji and his fellow clansmen, and the fact that wine was served on the night didn't help matters at all.

"Laird," Renji started, pausing to finish off his drink before wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "That was quite a vow back there during the ceremony. One would think that perhaps the two of you had already met prior to this."

Ichigo's eyes widened at that. He turned and looked at his wife who was currently conversing with an elderly woman seated next to her. Her quiet attentiveness held his attention for a moment before he turned back to his waiting clansmen and shrugged his shoulders. "I take my vows seriously. Anyone worthy of becoming my wife is worthy of those vows."

They stared at him in shock, before they all grinned at each other. This devotion to his wife so early in their marriage was certainly a refreshing change from the usually sour warlord, who walked about with a permanent scowl on his face and only spoke when issuing orders concerning battles or the keep. Maybe, Renji thought, just maybe, this bonny lass could bring new meaning to their Laird's bleak existence.

At that thought, Renji stood up from his seat and held his fist up. Immediately, the Kurosaki clansmen gained their feet and all looked towards Renji for guidance, their hands on the hilt of their swords, ready to lay their life down to protect their Laird and his lady wife. Renji nodded in approval before moving around the table they were seated at to stand before Orihime. A hush fell over the inhabitants of the great hall as one by one, each clansman joined Renji.

Ichigo watched the whole proceeding in confusion. He looked over to his bride and sought for perhaps a clue at what was going on, though Orihime looked just as surprised as he felt.

Renji knelt with one knee on the floor, his hand laid over his heart and his head bowed to his mistress. "Lady Kurosaki, we swear an oath of fealty from this day forward. May our lives also be given to protect yours."

The room continued in silence as every eye then turned to Orihime to gauge her reaction. Tears filled her eyes and spilled over as she clutched the neckline of her dress. Beyond any words, she nodded to the soldiers as one by one they stood and bowed to her. A resounding cheer echoed throughout the great hall and the guests resumed in their merry ways.

Smiling, Ichigo couldn't help but clap Renji on the back when he returned the table. It was the first thing he'd done right since the day he'd met him, which to Ichigo's way of thinking was enough to overlook his previous list of grievances. Renji turned towards him then saying, "The guests have indeed drunk themselves under the table. I believe 'tis time for the two of you to be getting on with your own wedded bliss." Renji laughed at his own joke, before nudging Ichigo, motioning for him to grab Orihime. Ichigo shook his head, "But where exactly am I going?"

"Your mind must be addled from the excitement of today," Renji muttered. "Canna believe I'm having to tell you of all people. Ken you of the ways between a man and a woman?"

Understanding flooded Ichigo's cheeks with colour. _They expected him to do... that? But he'd never even kissed a girl before! _Renji blinked twice at the obvious stain of colour on his Laird's cheeks and threw his head back, roaring with laughter. Those who were still sober looked with interest at the commotion, and Ichigo rammed his fist into Renji's arm, forcing him to stop laughing, though there were still tears of mirth falling from his eyes. Renji and several of his followers bodily grabbed him, giving him a shove in Orihime's direction.

He stumbled a bit before righting himself, throwing a glare towards his followers, though it went unnoticed as they lifted their brows suggestively. Shaking his head in exasperation, he stood silently behind Orihime, waiting for her to finish her conversation. She stopped in mid-sentence and turned to him then, her face showing...fear? Uncertainty?

Ichigo clenched his jaw. He didn't want Orihime to ever show him that face again. Making sure to be gentle, he extended his hand out to her and simply waited. Without hesitating, she accepted his hand, gaining her feet. Together, they left the great hall, much to the delight of the guests as they cheered, wolf-whistled and clapped loudly. Ichigo couldn't help but shake his head. They were no better than his father, really.

He walked slowly, his being attuned to the slender figure of his wife next to him. Her head was bowed, and by the sudden hitch in her breath, he could tell that she was mighty nervous about something. He stopped, causing her to halt and look up at him in question. He gently grasped her chin saying, "What's making you so nervous around me?"

A delicate flush stained her cheeks and she looked away from his gaze. "Doona worry about it much, milord. 'Tis just that I am a bit... nervous about what's to happen tonight."

Ichigo swallowed at that as well, not sure what to say to allay his bride's fears. Damn, he wasn't exactly sure how he was going to do this either. "Um, I guess we'll just have to learn together."

It had seemed to be the right words. She calmed down some, even managing to smile up at him. Ichigo couldn't help but smile back before glancing ruefully around him. "This might sound really strange, but I have no idea where it is we should be heading too."

Orihime looked at him questioningly before answering in low tones, "Perhaps 'tis best if we went to your chambers, milord?"

Ichigo nodded, "Er, yes. Yes, that's what we should do. Now... chambers..." He trailed off, as he looked around quizzically at his surroundings. Orihime looked at him strangely again before shrugging and taking his hand, leading him to the nearby stairwell. "I believe it would be up there, milord."

Ichigo smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Right, of course." He led the way, maintaining the contact between their linked hands by pulling her a little bit closer. They were silent on the way up the stairs, and it didn't take Ichigo long to notice that Orihime was once again in a fretful state. He swallowed, _this was really going to happen. He and Orihime would..._ he swallowed again and worked to control his breathing.

They made it to the landing and paused; a single light shining beneath the crack of the third door down the hall indicated to both of them which bedchamber they would be entering. Ichigo took a deep breath and turned to grasp Orihime's shoulders in his hands. She lifted wary eyes to his and shuddered. He lifted his hand and gently brushed her cheek, smiling for her benefit so as to allay her fears. "No matter how scared you get, never forget that I'll take care of you. I protect what is mine."

It seemed that his words might not have been what she wanted to hear, because her eyes filled with tears again, mortifying Ichigo who had simply wanted to calm her. He opened his mouth to apologise but closed it when his bride suddenly gave a most radiant smile. Blushing madly, she moved towards the bedchamber door, looking over her shoulder at him as she opened the door and stepped over the threshold. Grinning, Ichigo followed after her.

...

The room that greeted Ichigo's eyes was neatly furnished yet absent of his bride who had just entered it. He halted at the foot of the single-bed, glancing around himself at the manner in which everything had been tucked neatly away within the room; the lamp perfectly erect and still on the nightstand, wardrobes shut without a single piece of clothing stuck in the closed door and windows firmly shut and the curtains not stirring from any breeze.

It was too still. It was too silent. It was too hollow.

A feeling of anxiety washed over Ichigo. _Where was he?_

As Ichigo continued to gaze at the empty bed before him, the bedroom door abruptly burst open and he spun around to greet the people at the door.

"Rukia! Renji!" Ichigo cried in relief at having found two people he recognised. He made a move to go forward when the looks upon his friends' faces caused him to stop in his tracks. "What is it?" he asked, an uneasy feeling settling into his stomach as he studied the solemn faces the two before him were making.

Renji's brows furrowed and he looked away, unable to speak and Rukia clasped her hands together, a sincere apology leaving her mouth. "I know this is difficult for you... but it's time to go now, Ichigo," she explained gently, motioning to Ichigo to follow her and Renji, who both turned and headed slowly towards the door, both turning back to ensure that Ichigo was following, despite his confusion.

The staircase they headed down connected to a scrupulously clean kitchen that also had that strange feeling of emptiness cloaking the entire room. Their footsteps were heavy upon the wooden floor as they crossed it to the front of the house where the living room was situated. Dust slowly rose from the carpet under Ichigo's feet.

Outside, a sleek black limousine awaited them and though full of questions, Ichigo realised that none of these queries would be answered and so he wordlessly slipped into the limousine and onto the fine leather seat.

The drive went by unnoticed, as Ichigo sat in a daze for the most of it, wondering what the heck was going on. He was vaguely aware of the limo stopping, of exiting with Rukia and Renji before subsequently being ushered along to a small and welcoming building.

As he entered the ornate and old-fashioned church, numerous pairs of eyes turned to him, some belonging to people he recognised, others belonging to faces that he could not relate to any name in his confused mind.

The gears in his head slowly turned as he gazed around at all the people occupying the pews of the church, their attires black and faces forlorn and solemn, many with red-rimmed eyes and handkerchiefs loosely held in their hands.

It was a funeral. He understood that much as Renji nudged him forward and Ichigo stumbled, his eyes finally coming to rest on the casket positioned at the very front and center of the church, a sudden hush filling his ears as he stared at it, suddenly numb. Dread filled him and yet he could not understand why he felt strangely drawn forward, his heart clenching more with each step he took towards the lone casket.

His mind yelled and pleaded for anything rather than approaching that ominous coffin, the black fishnet cloth draped cavalierly over it, flittering silently, eerily, in a nonexistent breeze. Sweat accumulated on his palms as he came closer, the silence suffocating and the resounding beat of his anxious heart deafening.

He could hear nothing else. He could see nothing else. Except that coffin that seemed to draw him forward. That coffin that caused him to stop directly before it; to gaze down into it, his fears confirmed and body too numb to even react at the sight before him.

Laid in the coffin, peaceful and ethereal in appearance, was a deathly-pale Orihime Inoue. Her hands were folded neatly over her stomach and her eyes were closed as if she simply slept and the fact that she lay in a casket meant nothing. She was just asleep and they had confused her sleeping state for something else. Surely that had to be the reason, it was logical in Ichigo's mind. And yet, he could not bring himself to believe his own thoughts and continued to look down at Orihime's unmoving body, convinced that she would open her eyes and sit up now, welcoming him with her usual bright smile as she'd vibrantly greet him, "Good morning!"

But she didn't move. She did not utter a single word.

Too numb to move, Ichigo remained where he was until Renji quietly pulled him away. Ichigo looked up, catching the eyes of some of the people he passed, faces he could no longer name despite their familiarity. It was all a blur. How could it matter at all now anyway? And yet, he saw the pity upon their faces as he passed them. Eyes that said he appeared too weak and pitiable standing numbly, helplessly, before the casket of someone he had known.

No annoyance or anger could stir inside of Ichigo. He was far too numb, too hollow, to respond to anything. Renji was already pushing him down gently into a seat, beside a woman he would've known anywhere. And yet, he could not recall her name, or bring himself out of the stupor he had settled into.

The woman beside him cried softly, comforted by a father he had talked to this morning. Events from the morning of Ichigo's original lifetime flashed in his mind. Had they all truly occurred? It was all suddenly very distant, miniscule and insignificant as he sat there, eyes fixed upon the immobile casket.

He continued to sit in this silent fashion until he was tapped on the shoulder by Ishida, who insisted that he move to the podium to speak. Ichigo glanced over at his mother beside him, who continued to cry softly, before looking back at Ishida, an inkling of understanding formulating in his mind. Standing, he walked slowly to the podium that stood on a stage behind the coffin, his legs like lead. Reaching the podium, his eyes washed over the crowd before him, faces recognisable yet blurred, few looking up with interest, some too preoccupied with crying to bother and others completely apathetic or gazing up at him with pity. Something lodged within Ichigo's throat as he stood before them all, sweat accumulating in his palms.

"Um... I've never done something like this before..." he managed to get out, voice strangely thick to his ears. He lowered his gaze to his hands which clung weakly to the podium before him, the heavy silence ringing deafeningly in his ears. "I never wanted this to happen..." he whispered, fists clenching as he struggled to swallow down what had lodged in his throat. His nails bit deeper into the palms of his hands as his head sunk lower and lower, his forehead eventually resting against his clenched fists, sorrow a melody known to him. "I failed her!" he cried. "I broke my promise and let her die! I had promised to protect her! But for some reason... I couldn't save her!"

In the lifetime he knew, the mother he had known and loved, currently weeping in the front pew, had died with Orihime then entering his life, fulfilling his needs to protect. And yet, in this life, Orihime had died and his mother was before his very eyes. Tangible; real. Did it have to truly be one way or another? Could he truly only protect one person dear to him as his name stated?

Already they were pulling him away for he no longer had any idea of time and reality; it was all far too distant, irrelevant as they sat him back down.

Blurs, blurs, blurs. People passing. People coming. People going. All insignificant blurs. And murmurs, it was all he was dimly aware of.

Before he knew it, they were dragging him up onto his feet, practically hauling him out of the church as everyone else filed out. He could hardly understand it all as they pushed him into that limousine and began to drive him away to another place. They followed behind another limousine and several cars followed behind them, and somewhere in Ichigo's mind was a distant realisation that they were following a hearse that was to leading them to the graveyard.

It was as he thought this that they arrived at the same graveyard the mother in his lifetime had been buried in. Except here she stood beside him, ushering him forward along with the rest of the family towards the freshly dug grave, prepared and foreboding as it leered up at Ichigo. The sight of it turned his stomach. He felt as if it were an abyss; that if anything were to enter it, it would vanish forever, out of his reach. He leaned over it precariously, stomach turning uncontrollably, Renji steadying him out of concern.

Already the procession was taking place, it was all occurring too fast for him to comprehend. More tears. More crying. Rukia turned away. Ishida lowered his eyes in pain. Chad clenched his fists.

They began to lower her into that grave, intended to have her swallowed whole by it, sealed away within the earth and separated from him. It was the only thoughts that raced through Ichigo's mind as he ran forward.

"What are you doing?" he cried as Renji and Ishida seized his arms, attempting to hold him back. "What are you doing to her?"

She was lowered further into the darkness and Ichigo desperately wrestled with the arms restraining him.

"No! Don't take her away! You can't take her away!" Ichigo yelled as another person stood to restrain him. It didn't matter who or how many people came to hold him back, he could not let go. Eyes focused upon the still lowering casket he howled desperately as it was lowered completely and dirt began to be shoveled onto it.

...

"Please, don't leave me."

"I'm here, Kurosaki-kun. I'm here."

The ride was coming to an end, as the gondola exited from the tunnel and drifted towards the end pier in which the other riders were now getting off. Ichigo turned around sharply, noting that he was indeed back at the carnival, and the Orihime he had known from childhood was really there with him. He grabbed her to him, his fingers entangled in her tresses as he pulled her close, savouring her warmth, her scent, her heart beat. She was alive. She's alive, she didn't die. She's alive.

"B-but of course I'm alive, Kurosaki-kun."

Ichigo pulled back from his embrace and peered into Orihime's wide eyes, vaguely noticing the generous tinge of rouge that coloured her cheeks. "Orihime, when we were in the ride, did you perhaps, go anywhere? Was I there with you?"

She opened her mouth to answer before closing it again. She shook her head. "Kurosaki-kun, what did you just call me?"

He looked puzzled. "Orihime?"

Her eyes were shiny, filled with tears, and she shook her head as a small smile flitted across her face. "Never mind." She paused, lifting her hands to her cheeks as a lighter blush tinged them. "I-I-I, no, I didn't go anywhere. You were quiet the whole time so I thought you maybe went to sleep."

"I was asleep?"

"N-n-not that that really matters, Kurosaki-kun. I know you were just being kind when you said that you'd go on the ride with me." She paused and smiled to herself, "just having you there was enough for me."

The ride was nearing the end, and he could see their group of friends waiting at the end pier for their gondola to come into dock. He needed to get this out before they were interrupted, and he might never have another chance to do this. He gathered his courage and gently clasped Orihime's hands in his. He watched her flush a delicate pink, her breath hitching as she looked at their joined hands.

"Orihime," he began silently, and gave her a small smile. "I've travelled five lifetimes to come to one realisation. I would wait an eternity for you. Having you by my side is enough for me."

She was shocked by that, and stunned by his confession. Ichigo could see it plainly on her face. He smiled at that and winked at her, before tightening his hold on her hands. Indeed, after five lifetimes, he felt like he'd finally come home.


End file.
